Denver and the West

Green groups oppose plan for water pipeline from Wyoming to Colorado

Environmental groups from across the West filed objections Thursday to a proposed multi billion-dollar pipeline project to import water to Colorado from Wyoming — calling it a bad idea with more unanswered questions than a presidential debate.

Federal authorities deciding whether to grant a preliminary permit for the project proposed by Fort Collins entrepreneur Aaron Million have received more than 170 mostly negative comments on the proposal.

But Million said he's undaunted. He said he's talking with energy-industry representatives about using the water for oil and gas production.

The pipeline to move up to 200,000 acre-feet of water a year could sustain water-intensive hydraulic-fracturing operations in Wyoming and Colorado, Million said.

"We've heard rough figures of 15,000 to 20,000 acre-feet annually for fracking needs," Million said. "If this new water supply helps with the fracking issues, then, without question, we would consider delivering water for the industry."

Otherwise, oil and gas companies likely will continue to compete with towns, cities and farmers to use existing water supplies, he said.

"New water will help increase flows in the system, which will help agriculture," he said.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission next week is scheduled to close a period for public comment on the proposed Flaming Gorge project and move toward an initial decision.

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Million's Regional Watershed Supply Project calls for a 570-mile pipeline to move water from the upper Colorado River Basin in southwestern Wyoming to expanding suburbs along Colorado's Front Range. He estimates the cost at $3 billion. It would divert water from near the Flaming Gorge Reservoir, which traps the Green River, across the Continental Divide to the Front Range — generating hydroelectric power along the way.

A coalition of south-metro water providers also is pursuing a diversion of water from Wyoming, and the Colorado Water Conservation Board has supported an effort to explore the idea.

"A preliminary permit does not authorize construction or operation of a project," federal regulatory commission spokeswoman Celeste Miller said. "All it does is give you priority over a site for three years to study feasibility."

The Colorado Environmental Coalition, National Parks Conservation Association and Western Resource Advocates on Thursday were filing formal objections to the project. Another coalition of 11 environmental groups, including Sierra Club, Wyoming Outdoor Council and Save the Poudre, also objected.

They contend that the project cost could reach as much as $9 billion and that Million has failed to demonstrate need for the water with customers committed to paying for the water if it could be delivered.

And they say preventing that much water from flowing into the Green River would hurt wetlands, birds, fish and the recreation economies of surrounding communities.

"The real shame of this entire process is that it is a distraction from discussions of much more reasonable and cost-effective water supply projects," said Stacy Tellinghuisen, an energy and water policy analyst for Western Resource Advocates, a Boulder law and policy firm.

"If (the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) takes on this application, they will be using taxpayer dollars and resources to look into the project," Tellinghuisen said. "This is a totally unrealistic project."

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